Pakistan will square off against Bangladesh in the 31st match of the ongoing World Cup 2023 at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Tuesday. Pakistan have managed two wins in six games whereas Bangladesh have won a solitary match out of the six they have played.
Ergo, it will be a must-win game for both of these teams if they have to stay afloat in the ODI showpiece. We look at the current form, head-to-head, players to look out for, and squads of both teams in our match preview.
Current form for Pakistan: L L L L W
Pakistan suffered a heart-breaking loss against the Proteas in their previous match, losing by one wicket. The Men in Green could not get the final wicket and have lost their last four games. Babar Azam will want a more collective effort from his team with both bat and ball. Furthermore, their batters need to start converting their starts into big scores.
Current form for Bangladesh: L L L L L
Bangladesh have certainly not played to their potential in the ongoing World Cup. The Tigers won their opening game against Afghanistan but they have not been consistent. Moreover, they were stunned by the Netherlands in their last match by 87 runs as they were bundled out for only 142 runs.
Head to Head: Matches: 38, Won by Pakistan: 33, Won by Bangladesh: 5.
Pakistan holds a big advantage against Bangladesh in H2H.
Players to look out for: Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf will be the crucial players for Pakistan.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, and Mustafizur Rahman will hold the key for the Tigers.
Bangladesh squad: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Kumer Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto (vc), Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
